#Baristalife with Catalina from Natural Food Store

What song is currently playing on your iphone? Bombay Stereo (african latino rhythms).

What is your favourite time of the day? 7am – when my shift starts and I have my first coffee.

If you could do anything you wanted in the world, what would it be? To help kids understand what they consume when they eat. Everyone should be conscious about it but not everyone has the knowledge – due to my background and an understanding of poverty.

If you could meet anyone (living or dead) who would it be and why? Melania Trump!

What was the last movie you watched Trainspotting 2.

What two things would you want if you were stranded on a desert island? A knife and the time.

What is your favourite meal? Ajico (a colombian dish).

What word best describes you? Brave.

What is your least favourite thing to do? Sitting on my computer for too long and having to have a bad conversation for a long time.

What is #1 on your bucket list? To become a pilot.

Why coffee? I’m interested in art – I studied art in Colombia and product design & graphic design in London, so I see the link between art and coffee. It’s a good business to be in if you do it well, that and the art of it are my main reasons.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get into coffee? – Coffee is like food, you need a recipe – don’t make a coffee without knowing your recipe. Know how many grams of coffee, water temperature etc. Understand your recipe – I make 200 + cups a day and everything is weighed. Everyone gets the exact amount. They come back because they know exactly what they are getting. Standardise the recipe of your coffee. I make sure it doesn’t depend on the barista, if you have the perfect recipe. The job of the barista is key – they have to understand the farmer and what he did. Whether it is fair trade. Know your blend, where it comes from, how it was processed to make everyone in the chain proud. If you don’t have that knowledge you are doing the others in the chain a disservice. The barista is KEY!!